What to Include on a Sports Registration Form

Nearly every sports training program requires some sort of “sign-up” process. Whether you turn in a sports registration form or use an athlete registration software, event organizers typically collect valuable information before an event which helps attendees have a more positive experience.

What information is important to collect? While there are a number of factors to consider, here are 7 must-haves for your next sports registration form.

P.S. If you’re looking for an athlete registration form template, you can download a free copy here!

What is a sports registration form?

A sports registration form is a template that collects information which allows athletes to sign up for programs or events. Also called athlete registration forms or player registration forms, sports registration forms are utilized by sports coaches and trainers to collect athlete details, contact information, and payments. Whether you are running a team or club, or you offer classes, small clinics, or large camps, you should be utilizing a player registration form to track your registrants.

What should I include on a sports registration form?

The first touchpoint your athletes will have with your events is often during the registration process. So, you want to make sure that this process is organized and runs smoothly. A proper registration form can help protect both your athletes and your business, especially if you include an athlete waiver and release form as well.

1. Basic athlete information

The primary goal of an athlete registration form is to collect information about the athlete that will be in attendance for your next event. These should be relevant fields about the athlete that help you gain an understanding of their experience or background. For example, if you are running a sports camp you may find the following information helpful:

• Playing experience (will help you group athletes with similar abilities)
• Position (will help you break athletes out into position-specific rotations during camp)
• Current Club/ School Team (can help you identify where athletes are coming from, or what level they are competing at)

Whether you’re running a large sports camp for a wide age range, or a more concentrated clinic for a specific position or skill, including this information on your athletic forms will help you set your sports camp agenda, and add value that keeps parents and athletes coming back year after year.

2. Contact Information

Your athlete registration form should also collect contact information, for example, email, phone number, and address, which can benefit you both before and after your event.

• Pre-Event: Having a phone number or email address allows you to communicate important event details leading up to the event (like reminders, a packing list, arrival details, weather updates, etc.).
• Post Event: You can send a ‘thank you’ to those who attended and made for a great event, share a recap of the event (photos, videos, or a summary of what athletes learned), and continue to market future camps, clinics, or programs that you think would be a great fit for your athletes. For example, if they attended your fall camp, personally invite them to register for your spring camp.

Demographic information like an address can also help you make more informed decisions that grow your business. If you see high attendance from a particular school or club team, you may be able to partner with them for future events. Or, if you’re looking to expand into a new location, you’ll know where you can find the majority of your target clients.

See how demographic reporting has helped The Compound 256 expand their programming!

3. Emergency Contact

While you never want to believe that bad things could happen, it’s important to be prepared and proactive. Should an issue arise, you must know who to contact. Your sports registration form should collect at least one emergency or parent contact.

Bonus Resources: Check out Upper Hand’s free Incident/ Injury Response Kit!

4. Don’t forget the S.W.A.G.

SWAG. Everyone loves it. And young athletes are no exception. Consider designing an event t-shirt that is included with registration. This will not only make for great camp photos and marketing materials, but it’s also a relatively small expense that will help you expand your brand. It’s important to remember that, if you are going to include an event t-shirt, you’ll want to collect sizes that will help you make your order in advance (so you can accurately plan ahead).

5. Medical/ Injury Information

You may also want to include an opportunity for athletes/ parents to disclose any medical or injury concerns that are relevant to the event.

Here are some things you may think to ask for:

• Food Allergies – If you’re running an all-day or overnight clinic and are providing meals, you’ll want to be aware of any food allergies or dietary restrictions.
• Injury History – If you will be organizing high-intensity activities or game-like play, you’ll want to know if there are any athletes that may be dealing with some sort of injury or setback.

6. Payment Collection

With registration typically comes some sort of payment. Whether it’s an initial deposit, or you’re requesting that registrants pay in full, you want to stay on top of your hard-earned money. If you are using a sports registration software, like Upper Hand, these payments are collected and managed via an online payment processor. If you are collecting paper athlete registration forms, you will want to include a section for internal use to track those payments as they come in, so you don’t miss out on revenue. This section should include a space to note the date, method of payment, and who collected the payment, helping you leave a paper trail of these transactions.

7. Waiver & Release

In addition to the athlete registration form, you should also include an athlete waiver & release form for athletes/ parents to sign. A waiver legally gives up a right, for example releasing someone from their liability for harm or damage that may occur from participating in an activity. Additionally, a release form will ensure you have rights to use any photos or videos from your events.

Looking for a place to get started? Download Upper Hand’s Athlete Waiver and Release Template!

Looking for a way to take your athlete registration online? Upper Hand can help. Schedule a demo today to see how you can grow your business with athlete registration software.

Don’t miss out on these related resources:

• Sports Facility Budget Template
• Competitor Analysis Worksheet
• Sports Event Planning Checklist
• Brand Strategy Guide
• Program Profit/Loss Worksheet
• Incident and Injury Response Guide
• Athlete Waiver Template
• Resource Profit Margin Calculator